Lufia II: Victory Party
by Malachite
Summary: The Final Battle with the Sinistrals...and then Guy and Artea's Victory Party after the ordeal. YAOI IN PART 2
1. Default Chapter

Victory Party: Part I

A Lufia II: Rise of the Sinistrals fanfic

Notes: This story will contain yaoi in part II.  Lufia II does not belong to me, it belongs to Natsume, developed by Neverland.  I do not claim any part of it.  I adhered to the EXACT dialogue in the game for this part, except I changed whenever Guy said "Artea" to "Arty" and I added in like one word in one place.  Also, I changed the eye colors, simply because in the official art it seems everyone has blue eyes.  So Selan has light blue, Maxim has crimson, Guy has light green, and Arty has violet. In addition, the Sinistrals outfits and Amon's hair color CHANGES in their sprites and in battle, so make note of that.  Please bear with me if this part is kind of weak, if it is it's mostly because I stuck with the game's dialogue and just added details and such to it.  Comments go to **malachite84@yahoo.com**.  Main archiving is **http://www.geocities.com/ff8bishounen_squall**.

"Without warning, the island suddenly appeared in the sky. Four foul and wicked beings claimed it for themselves. They possessed the frightening powers of Chaos, Destruction, Terror, and Death. The people were horrified. They called the evil ones "Sinistrals". The reign of Terror continued. The world massed its warriors to battle their dark foes. But the Sinistrals were all powerful.  In desperation, the people called on their bravest fighters: Artea, Guy, Maxim, and Selan. And so began the final battle..."

The four young warriors walked through the shrine door, arriving into pitch darkness.  A red-haired swordsman carrying a mysterious twin-edged sword resonating with power, a tall muscled blonde man carrying a huge blade shining with light, a beautiful young woman with long turquoise hair, carrying a magician's rod, and a slender elven man, carrying a huge bow covered with runic symbols.

"Is everyone okay?  Guy?  Artea?"

"Yeah, I'm fine," the deep voice of the blonde resounded through the dark room.  "Arty?"

"Me too.  I'm alright," came the calm voice of the purple-haired elf.

"Selan…Selan!  Say something!"  Maxim tried vainly to squint through the darkness for his wife.

"I'm alright too, Maxim," came the soft voice of the magician.

"We finally got here, huh?" Guy asked to no one in particular.

Maxim grabbed a hold of Selan's hand.  "Is this the Shrine of Daos?"  

"It's so dark…"  Selan gripped Maxim's hand for reassurance, slightly daunted by the pitch blackness.

"I feel the energy," Artea whispered.

"Evil energy.  Watch out!  It's pretty strong!"  Guy attempted to draw his sword, but bumped hard into Artea first and almost fell down.

"Selan, use the spell Light," Maxim remarked, trying not to laugh at the blonde man's clumsiness.

"Alright."  A soft blue glow illuminated the pony-tailed woman as she swept her staff in an arc over her head.  Seconds later the whole shrine was brightly illuminated with a normal natural looking light.

"So, this is the shrine of Daos."  Maxim's gaze traveled around the large room, taking in the white stonewalls and the royal blue and gold tapestries.

"It's so cold…it's so cold, it chills my heart."  Selan rubbed her bare arms, wishing her magician's garb had sleeves.

"You made it to my shrine at last…" 

"Daos?  Daos!?  Is it you!?  Show yourself!"  Maxim frantically tried to locate where the voice was coming from.

_"Come!  Come before me.  I am right above you."_

***

The huge giant of a man leaned against a sword as big as he was.  He wore enormous gray armor with a scarlet cape, his long orange-red hair crackling with dark energy.  Gades, Sinistral of Destruction, glared down at the four warriors.  "You finally made it this far…"

"Gades!  You can't get away any more!"  Maxim raised the Dual Blade into the air, calling out its power.  "Wave Motion!"  Energy waves coursed around him, the red-haired monster hunter's power growing exponentially.

"Silence!  Advance not a single step more!"  Gades attacked…

***

"So, you defeated Gades?"  Amon, Sinistral of Terror, smirked coldly down at Maxim's party.  The light of powerful dark magic shone evilly from his ornate golden armor and huge partisan-like spear, making his crimson cape flutter and his greenish hair glow bright silver.

"You're next Amon!"  Maxim drew the Dual Blade, getting into a fighting stance.

"You overestimate yourself!  Now, you shall see my real power, in your face!"  And then Amon attacked…

***

Maxim, Selan, Guy, and Artea arrived at a bridge constructed entirely of large tiles of glass.  It was built over a pitch black pit…bottomless, no doubt.

_"You may cross."_

Selan put a hand on her husband's shoulder.  "Maxim…It could be a trap."

"He said cross.  Let's go."  Maxim tried to step forwards, but Selan's strong grip stopped him.

"But…"  Selan's light blue eyes were darkened with worry.

Maxim put his own hand over Selan's, looking into her eyes.  "Daos is testing us.  He senses our feelings.  Don't show any fear!"

Guy stepped in front of the couple, his eyes on the other side of the bridge.  "You're right.  That's what he's doing."  He stepped on to the fragile glass tiles and made his way across swiftly without incident.

Arty stepped up next, clenching his bow in a gloved hand.  "My power is strong.  The hopes of my people energize me."  He too crossed, his leather boots not making a sound.

The red-headed young man turned away from Selan, looking across the bridge at the two others.  "Come on, Selan.  We're the world's last and only chance!"

The turquoise-haired woman lowered her head and nodded.  "I know."

"There's still hope as long as Dual Blade keeps its light."  Maxim raised the blade he kept in his grip, letting its inner power shine softly.  The glow seemed even brighter than when they had arrived at Doom Island.

"Dual Blade.  It's light is beaming stronger than before."  The magician slowly released her grip on Maxim's shoulder.

"We'll destroy the Sinistrals and restore peace.  Promise me you'll go back with me."  Maxim offered her his hand.

"Yes, I promise.  I'll go back with you."  She took his hand and they crossed together.

A circle of red energy, the power of pure evil, appeared, materializing into a gorgeous woman with shoulder-length purplish-blue hair.  Her garb was a light purple sleeveless blouse, which hung off one shoulder, and a matching skirt, with a large slit down the side.  She carried herself with an air of grace, and of power.

"Wh…who are you!?"  Maxim frowned as he raised the Dual Blade, confused at this newest arrival.

"I am…"

"What is it?  What's your name!?"

"I'm Erim, Mistress of Death."  The woman's voice echoed eerily through the shrine.

"You're Erim!?  Was it you who revived Gades!?"

"Exactly.  As long as I live, the four Sinistrals will always revive!"

"So, I have to destroy you to destroy all the Sinistrals, right?"

"This is my purpose as well.  For our enemy is he who possesses Dual Blade!"  Erim raised a hand, her dress changing into leg-exposing black armor, a sword appearing in one hand and a skull-like shield in the other.  Spheres of dark magic collected in front of her, exploding into a deadly Dark Fry spell.

***

"Zap!"  Artea raised a glowing hand, white light shining forth.  A mystic triangle symbol of power appeared on the ground beneath the Sinistral of Death, releasing small bursts of light energy around her.  The symbol vanished, and the light bursts spiraled around the woman, creating a blast of radiance.  That was the final strike needed to defeat her, and Erim fell to the ground.  "You are str…strong, Maxim.  What is it that gives you the strength to battle on?"

"I have someone to protect…"  Maxim turned and looked to his wife, smiling warmly.

"The woman beside you?  You would risk your own life for one woman?"  The Mistress of Death shook her head unbelievingly.

"To me, she means more than life itself."

"Maxim…"  Selan rubbed her arm over her eyes, wiping away the tears that had gathered.

"Is this human emotion?  Ha!  Ridiculous!  Even such power must fail before Daos!"  Erim closed her eyes and vanished into nothingness.

***

"We've got you now, Daos!" Maxim shouted, dashing up the dais steps where Daos stood.

"Why do you try to stop me?  Many people worship superior beings such as I."  The head Sinistral studied the four heroes amusedly.  His long violet hair and red robe with golden embroidery made him look like a king…but an evil one.  Just the look of his huge steel shoulder plates was daunting.

"So you say!  No one would worship such evil Sinistrals!"

"How simple minded.  Listen to me.  There are two ways of looking at things.  Some believe in love and happiness, others in destruction and chaos.  They cannot stand apart!"

"Then why has only evil appeared?  Where are those who believe in good!?"

"It is so ordained by Arek the Absolute."

"Arek the Absolute?"

"He is the one who stands above all others like me."

"I had no idea…"  Maxim shook his head, wandering if they would have to fight this 'Arek' as well.

"We've chatted long enough.  It's time to settle this, time to meet your doom!"

"With this Dual Blade, I will put an end to your evil ways!"

"Excellent!  I can sense your power is superhuman.  It's no surprise that you can use Dual Blade.  With my power, that sword should be mine!  Why did you choose him, Dual Blade?  I will have my revenge on you and Dual Blade!  I am the Master of Terror.  No one can challenge me!"  Maxim raised the legendary sword, the other three warriors preparing to attack as well.

***

Maxim stood over the fallen Sinistral of Terror, watching his body start to fade away.  "This is the end, Daos."

"Never!  The Sinistrals are absolute Masters of Destruction!  Gades!  Amon!  Erim!  Gather before me!  Let your power resonate with mine!"  The other three fallen Sinistrals appeared, their bodies transparent.  They surrounded the four warriors, trapping them in a deadly circle of red energy.

Daos' evil laugh rang through the shrine room.  "Ha, ha, ha, ha, ha!"

Guy gritted his teeth as he braced himself behind his shield.  "Those Sinistrals still haven't bit the dust!?"

Artea's expression was worried as he shielded his eyes from the harsh glow of the attack.  "Not exactly.  These are the last of their energy waves.  They're resonating with Daos energy!"

The blonde swordsman gritted his teeth.  "His last ditch effort!"

The elf shook his head, his soft voice rising sharply.  "It's not that simple!  Those energy waves could still rupture and take the world with it!"

"What!?  They're willing to destroy themselves and the world to take us down!?"  Guy shook in fury, his jade green eyes flashing.

"I won't let it happen!"  Maxim lunged forward with the Dual Blade at the energy barrier, but was blasted back.  "Selan!  Guy!  Artea!  Lend me your power!  This is going to take all of us!"  The four assembled into a tight circle, each member facing a Sinistral.  They closed their eyes, focusing their energy into a physical wave.  A bright blue light formed above each of their heads, glowing with their life force.  The lights slowly spun the opposite direction of the Sinistral's wave, but when they tried to burst through the evil red magic blasted their power back.

"Ha, ha, ha, ha!  Your energy waves are too puny and pathetic to break this last barrier!" Daos called mockingly.

"We've got to give it everything we got!"  Sweat poured down Maxim's face as he strained to increase his power.

Artea glanced at the shaking form of Maxim's wife and winced slightly.  "Maxim, Selan can't take much more of this!"

The beautiful magician shook her head, her face determined.  "Don't worry about me, Maxim!  I can do it!"

The red-haired man nodded and took a deep breath.  "Alright!"  The blue energy of the four warriors shined brighter and again formed a ring, this time spinning faster and faster, growing more powerful than even the Sinistral's wave.

Daos' form cowered.  "You little hoochees!"

"Now!  Do it now!" Maxim shouted.  The blue energy wave blasted through the red one, the Sinistrals forms disappearing entirely.  The party was thrown in separated directions from the blast.  Maxim slowly got to his feet, shaking his head to clear it.  "It's over…"  He walked down the stairs of the dais they had fought Daos on, bending down next to Guy's prone body.  "You ok, Guy?"

The young man got to his feet and brushed his longish blonds bangs from his face.  "You can't get rid of me that easily!"  

Maxim walked over to where Artea laid, Guy in step behind him.  "Artea?"

The elf got up easily, rubbing his eyes and blinking rapidly.  "I'm doing fine."  He looked over at Guy and offered a small smile.

Maxim left the two others behind as he dashed across the glass tile bridge and bent down next to his fallen wife.  "Selan?"

Selan sat up halfway, opening her crystal blue eyes and smiling weakly.  "Now…the world will be at peace once more."

The fiery-haired man nodded.  "That's right, I know.  We can go home now."

The pony-tailed woman turned her gaze to the stone floor.  "…I'm sorry.  I'm afraid I can't go with you…"

Maxim's crimson eyes widened in shock and denial.  "Selan?  What are you saying?"

"I was hit when the Sinistrals ruptured…I can barely speak…"  She closed her eyes and collapsed, her breathing labored.

"Selan…Talk to me, Selan!"  The monster hunter shook her slightly, trying to will her to open her eyes again.

"I really want…I wish I could go with you…and hold our son once again…"

Suddenly bright red light flared throughout the room, huge explosions sounding as the ground started to shake violently.  The glass tile bridge shattered and fell into the deep black pit beneath it.

"The shrine is collapsing!  Arty, get us out of here!"  Guy looked from Maxim on the other side of the pit to the elf standing next to him.

"Selan and Maxim are too far away!  If we warp right now, we'll leave them behind!"  Artea's usual calm facade had vanished, replaced by a mask of fear and helplessness.

"Blast it!  Can't we do something?"  Guy's deep voice shook with rage at the hopelessness of it all.

Maxim looked up from Selan's body, clutching one of her delicate hands between his.  "Guy!  Artea!  Save yourselves!  Go!"

Artea gasped in surprise, blinking rapidly.  "Maxim!?"

"We've defeated the Sinistrals.  The people need to know.  You must be the messengers!" Maxim yelled over the loud explosions.

The elven man frowned deeply, hurt showing in his violet eyes.  "But…"

"I can't leave Selan.  Please understand."  The red-haired man turned his gaze back to the lovely magician, who was now resting peacefully.

"…"  Artea's face was impassive as he fought an internal war with his emotions, not knowing what to do.

Guy placed a strong hand on Artea's shoulder, making the elf look up.  "Let's go, Arty!"

Artea's eyes widened at what sounded like Guy suggesting to desert his friends.  "Guy, what are you…"

"Maxim wants us to go!  If we can't all go, that leaves us only one choice!"

"…" Artea lowered his gaze to the ground, hiding behind his long indigo bangs.

The blonde swordsman shook the elf hard in exasperation.  "Arty, come on!!"

Artea looked up and back across the deep abyss to where the red-haired man was kneeling.  "Maxim…I promise to tell the world about this victory.  Please!  You must try…Warp!!"  A beam of white-blue energy surrounded Artea and Guy, and they teleported to safety.

"Selan…There will be a new era of peace now.  I wish we could have seen it.  Selan, I love you.  I always have and always will."

***

Artea slowly walked into his hometown of Eserikto, limping slightly.  A pretty young blonde elf girl immediately rushed to him and swept him into a tight hug.  "Artea!"

The violet-haired elf smiled softly.  "Milka…I'm home."

"Artea!  Your eye.  You hurt your eye!  I must treat it right away!"  She started to drag him towards her house.

The elven man pulled back, brushing his hand over his eye lightly and casting a Strong spell.  "I'm alright.  This won't kill me."

Milka sighed and shook her head.  "Artea…"

"Now, Milka.  Do you feel like going to a city called Tanbel?"

"Tanbel?"

"That's where Guy lives.  I promised I'd come to his party after this battle."  He smiled a bit at the memory of Guy and his conversation before the final battle, where they had planned out the whole party idea.

Milka's elven ears perked up.  "Is it okay if I go with you?"

Artea nodded solemnly.  "Of course.  The time's come for everyone to enjoy this peace - together."

***

Guy barged through the inn door, banging it shut behind him.  "Hey, Hilda, Jessy?  I'm home!"

Hilda, Guy's sister who looked almost like him but with longer blonde hair and a petite build, calmly walked up to her brother.  Jessy, a pretty young woman with pinkish-red hair, stomped towards the blonde man she regarded as her boyfriend.  "I'm home!?  When that island started to fall, can you imagine how I worried?  Can you!?"

The swordsman gulped nervously, daunted by the girl's fiery temper.  "I'm sorry Jessy."

"What's going on?  It's not like you to be so humble like that."  Jessy raised an eyebrow curiously.

Hilda quickly intervened.  "What happened to Maxim and Selan, brother?"

Guy's pale green eyes lit up.  "Oh, that's right!  We were supposed to celebrate after the battle!"

"So, everybody's coming?"  Jessy tilted her head slightly.

The blonde man nodded and started to count off guests on his fingers.  "Yeah.  Maxim, Selan, Arty, Dekar, and that old man, Lexis, will probably come too.  And…"

"Wow!  Sounds like a big party!  I wonder if we have enough rooms in the inn?"  She twisted her hands worriedly, fretting about what might happen if they ran out of space.

Guy grinned brightly as he started to walk upstairs.  "Well, if not, bring them to other people's houses.  You can use anyone's house for this!"

***

End of Part I


	2. Lufia II: Victory Party, Part 2

Victory Party: Part I

A Lufia II: Rise of the Sinistrals YAOI fanfic

**Notes: This story contains yaoi!  Lufia II does not belong to me; it belongs to Natsume, developed by Neverland.   This is pure fanfiction, all dialogue written by myself and taken out of my own weird brain.  I changed the eye colors, simply because in the official art it seems everyone has blue eyes.  So Selan has light blue, Maxim has crimson, Guy has light green, and Arty has violet.  I'm not too good at wording the outfits I think up, and they seem to sound much better in my head than when I put them into words, so please forgive me if they don't sound "right".  Lastly, I've never been drunk, and have never even partaken of alcohol once in my life, but this is speculation on drunken bishounen behavior.  Comments go to malachite84@yahoo.com.  Main archiving is http://www.geocities.com/ff8bishounen_squall.**

"Are they here yet?"

Hilda looked up from the tablecloth she was fixing, seeing her brother.  "No, no one's come yet, but it's still early.  And by the way, you look very nice."

Guy grinned as he ran a hand through his medium-length blonde hair, still damp from his bath.  "Thanks."  He was attired in a plain white tunic, which tended to ride up when he stretched, showing his flat, muscled stomach.  A pair of his usual forest green pants and soft leather sandals completed his simple outfit.  His armor was nowhere to be seen, neither was his sword, although he did have a hunting knife strapped on his thigh by a brown leather belt.

"Although, it'd be nicer if you wore shoes."  Jessy walked in, glancing at Guy's worn footgear distastefully.  Her fiery red hair was pinned up, attempting to compliment and not clash with her pale green dress.  Unfortunately, her attempt was failing.

"What?  What's wrong with my feet?"  Guy looked down and examined them, wiggling his toes.  "You think they're ugly or something?  If you've been wearing those boots of mine for who knows HOW long in battle…"

Hilda nudged Jessy a bit as she bustled by.  "No, brother.  You have very nice feet.  Now, help me with moving this table."

The swordsman walked over to the heavy wooden table that Jessy had proclaimed as "the bar".  He lifted it over his shoulder easily, the muscles in his tanned arms flexing slightly.  "Where do you want it?"

Jessy pointed to a spot by the Inn's counter.  "Right there is fine.  And…"  She winced as Guy dropped the table with a crash.  "Be…careful…"

Guy dusted off his hands, grinning good-naturedly.  "Don't worry so much!  It's not even scratched."

Jessy huffed and retreated into the kitchen, grumbling about ale and apple cider.

A soft knock on the door caused Hilda, the ever-gracious hostess, to fly to the door.  Swiftly brushing off her pale blue dress and fixing her blonde bun, she then opened the door.  "Oh!  Hello there!  You must be the elves Guy told me about.  Come in, come in."

Two willowy figures walked in.  The taller, a male elf, had long indigo hair and dark violet eyes.  He was garbed in a fitted purple tunic, the collar and sleeves stitched with golden runic symbols, and a tight pair of navy pants.  He was without the usual array of a longbow and arrows of an elven archer, but an invisible aura of power around him showed he was quite a powerful magician.

"Arty!"  Guy grabbed the slender elf in a manly hug, smiling brightly.

The archer smiled slightly, nodding in greeting to Hilda after returning Guy's embrace.  "I am Artea, archer and magician.  I fought alongside Guy in the battles against the Sinistrals.  And this is Milka."

The petite elf girl stepped forward, her bright blue eyes gazing about in wonder.  She had shoulder-length blonde hair, and wore a lacy white blouse with a matching skirt.  "Wow…This place is really nice!  I expected less from humans."

Hilda curtsied deeply, her kindly smile never wavering.  "It is a pleasure and an honor to have you two here."  A loud explosion sounded from the kitchen suddenly, followed by a cloud of white smoke.  "Oh dear…if you will excuse me…"  She rushed off in a swirl of skirts.

Milka turned her attention to Guy, looking very thoughtful.  "Artea said you have a girlfriend.  Where is she?  Is she pretty?  Or is she just strong?"

Artea flushed lightly in embarrassment, giving the elven girl a disapproving glare.  "Milka, don't ask personal questions!"

The blonde elf put her small hands on her hips and huffed.  "Why not?  Just because YOU have never had a girlfriend…"

She was silenced by Artea frantically clasping a hand over her mouth.  "Not a single word more."  He slowly took his hand away.

Milka took a deep breath , then started up again.  "And you know Kathryn wasn't anything more than a friend, so don't try to pretend that you thought of her like…MMPH!"  She was silenced once again as Artea frantically covered her mouth.

Guy laughed helplessly as the elven man turned even redder.  "Oh, come on Arty.  She's just a kid.  Well, more or less…"

Artea sighed and removed his hand from Milka's mouth one last time.  "Fine then…"  

Milka quickly dashed over to Guy and looked up at the tall blonde man.  "Uhm, I have a question."  Guy blinked and motioned her to continue.  "Did Artea ever do anything embarrassing when he was traveling with you guys?"

Guy chuckled as Artea's eyes widened in fear.  "Well…there was the time at Forfeit Island Casino, when we bought the Bunny equipment…"

Artea glowered and Milka's eyes sparkled.  "Yes, go on, Mr. Guy!"

"See, Maxim decided Arty should be the one to wear the stuff…so he went to the back and changed…then when he came out…"  The blonde swordsman struggled to hold in his laughter.  "He came back in this revealing bunny girl suit, with a tail no less, a pair of bunny ears, a tray in the shape of a rabbit's head, and this tiny sword with a huge pair of bunny ears on the hilt!  Now mind you, all of this equipment is PINK!"

"Oooo…"  Milka giggled and sneaked glances at the dark scarlet elf man.

"And then, the best part was when the guy at the coin exchange starts to ramble on about how lovely the pretty elf girl looked, and how she should work as a full-time bunny girl at the casino!"  Guy collapsed into laughter.

Milka bounced around happily.  "Now I finally have something to tease Artea about!"

A loud knock on the door brought Hilda running towards the door again.  She opened it carefully, and then looked up into the handsome face of a very tall, very muscular warrior.  "Oh!  And you are…?"

"Dekar, Bodyguard of the Royal Family of the Bound Kingdom.  You must be Guy's lovely sister.  It's a pleasure."  He took her hand in his and brushed his lips against her fingers.  Hilda blushed and shot a look back at Guy, raising a pale eyebrow.  Dekar ran his fingers through his long blue spiked hair, before crossing his arms over his black sleeveless tunic.  His pants were black, as were his boots.  No weapon was visible on him, but Guy didn't trust Dekar to be weaponless in any situation, no matter how unthreatening it was.

Guy smirked as he walked over to Dekar, with Artea and Milka following him.  "So…it's the third best swordsman in the world."

Dekar stalked over to Guy and glared at him, his bright blue eyes flashing.  "THIRD!?"

"Yeah, third.  I'm the best, then Maxim, then you.  Although, I think Selan might have…"

Dekar lunged forwards and tackled the blonde man to the floor.  With insults coming from both sides, the two men wrestled around, both trying to pin the other.

Milka and Hilda watched in awe, but Artea sighed in exasperation.  "Honestly…"  He raised a hand above his head, a soft light streaming around him.  "Fry."  A mystical triangular symbol glowed on the ground beneath the two warriors, sphere of energy gathering into it.  Suddenly, it vanished, and a blast of pure light threw Guy and Dekar into opposite walls of the inn.  Both of them groaned and looked pitifully at Artea.

Guy rubbed his head, wincing as he brushed against a bruise.  "Oww…Arty, you didn't have to be so rough!"

Artea rolled his eyes and crossed his slender but toned arms across his chest.  "Not my fault you two are weak against spells.  Anyways, you both deserved it."

Jessy dashed out of the kitchen, her face streaked with soot and her hair in disarray.  "What happened!?"  She glanced around, her hawk-like gaze landing on the crumpled Guy in a corner.  "GUY!  What did you do?"  She glanced over to Dekar and gasped.  "Oh no!  You poor man!  Here, let's go into the kitchen and I'll bandage you up."  She offered her hand and the fallen warrior accepted it, getting to his feet.  The two walked into the kitchen, the door closing behind them.

The elven archer helped the blonde man to his feet, casting a healing Strong spell on him.  "Guy, why didn't Jessy help you?"  He brushed his long, slender fingers over the swordsman's arm, green light making the slight bruising there fade away.

Guy closed his eyes and shook his head, not even noticing when Hilda whispered something to Milka and took her upstairs.  "I don't know…she was so happy when I first came home, but…she's just being impossible!"

Artea rubbed the blonde's shoulders, massaging away the tenseness and soreness of his muscles.  "But you're still her boyfriend, right?"

"Not for much longer.  I'm afraid she's going to dump me…really soon."  The swordsman leaned into Artea's massage, sighing heavily.  "I just don't know what's wrong with that woman!"

The elf examined his fingertips.  "Maybe you're both ready to move on."

"…Yeah, maybe.  But it's just…I always thought once we defeated the Sinistrals that Jessy and me would get back together, like before."  Guy shook his head with another sigh, his voice dropping to a whisper.  "That's why I tried so hard to not fall in love with someone during our adventure…"

Another knock on the door brought Hilda charging down the stairs.  "That must be another guest!"  She opened the door to reveal a turquoise-haired man with a slight mustache.  He wore a white lab coat over a nondescript suit.  A small pair of wire-framed glasses perched on his nose.  Hilda curtsied politely.  "Good evening sir.  And you are…?"

"Lexis.  Doctor Lexis Shaia, that is.  I am the one who designed and built the very airship that our saviors used to reach Doom Island!"  The inventor stepped into the cozy inn, a pretty red-haired assistant following him.  She was in a lab coat as well, worn over a plain tan dress.  "Oh yes, and this is Irene, my most trusted assistant."

Irene blushes slightly.  "Professor…Ahem, it is nice to meet all of you."  She smiled at the room in general.  "Is there anything I can do to help?"

Milka walked over to Hilda.  "I would like to help too!"

Hilda smiled and brushed some of her blonde hair out her face.  "That'd be wonderful!  Jessy and I would appreciate any help.  We were just putting the finishing touches on some dishes, but after that explosion, who knows what we'll have to do…"  She led the two other females into the kitchen.

Lexis turned to Guy, who was leaning against a wall and looking worn out.  "Sir Guy, where are Maxim and Selan?  Oh, and I must apologize for being a tad late."

Both Artea and Guy looked at Lexis.  The elven man walked over next to Guy and murmuring softly into his ear.  "They have to be okay…Maxim must have healed her, and she must have warped them out…"

Lexis cleared his throat and adjusted his spectacles.  "What is truly peculiar is how Doom Island was on a collision course towards Parcelyte Kingdom…but right at the last critical moment, it changed courses.  Do you know why?"

The two heroes slowly shook their heads.  "We warped out ahead of Maxim and Selan."

"They…might have done something." Guy added.

The professor pondered this a while.  "I see.  Very interesting.  I really must examine the crash site."  He took out a notebook and sat down at a table with it, scrawling away in illegible writing.

Artea sighed softly.  "I have this foreboding feeling.  I don't think we're going to see Maxim and Selan again anytime soon…excuse me, I need some fresh air."  He walked out the Inn door in a hurry, his soft brown leather boots not making a sound on the wooden floor.

Guy shook his head as he stepped out of the inn door, following Artea.  The elf was leaning against the back wall of the Inn, a warm summer breeze blowing his indigo hair.  His eyes were downcast as he clenched a hand over his chest.  The blonde man frowned as he walked over and stood next to the elf, mimicking his position.

A long silence passed, finally broken by Artea's soft voice.  "It's my fault they're dead.  If only I had stronger magic, my warp spell could have reached them!  Or if I had just followed Maxim across those glass tiles…"

"You mean if WE had followed him.  I could have pulled you across…it wasn't just you, Arty.  It was both of us."  Guy placed a reassuring hand on the elf's shoulder.

"But it was my warp spell!  I was the one who made us leave them…"  A single tear trickled out of the corner of one of his violet eyes, leaving a shining trail down his pale cheek.  Artea gasped as strong arms wrapped around him, holding him close to a warm, hard body.

"Arty, we can't blame ourselves if Selan and Maxim perished.  It was Selan's choice to fight, and Maxim's choice to stay with her.  And who knows, maybe he accomplished something important after we left…"

"It is strange…how Doom Island came so close to Parcelyte."  Artea leaned against Guy, shivering despite the warm weather.

The blonde nodded slowly, keeping the smaller man in his arms.  "Yeah.  It's really weird…HEY, look at that!"

Two shooting stars streaked across the sky, their tails of light weaving in and out of each other.  One star glowed with a soft blue light, the other with a vibrant light crimson.  The two men watched the mysterious lights until they vanished into the distance.

Tears were pouring down Artea's cheeks, his mouth agape and his eyes wide.  "Maxim…Selan…I felt their energy waves just then…but now they're gone."

Guy handed the elven man a clean white handkerchief, his jade eyes shadowed.  "I felt something then too.  Could those lights have been…?"

"Perhaps.  I think there's a good chance of it anyways.  After all, they both had extremely powerful life forces."  Artea stepped away from the swordsman, wiped his face off thoroughly, then turned around and grabbed Guy's hand.  "Let's go back inside.  Those two wouldn't have wanted us to be sad…Let's go celebrate."

They walked back into the Inn, smiles on their faces now.  Lexis was now deep in discussion with his assistant, while Milka and Hilda were setting out drinks and food. Guy grabbed a chicken leg and gnawed on it, looking around.  He frowned, not seeing Jessy or Dekar present.  "Arty, where do you think my girl and the idiot are?"

Artea's long ears twitched, and he pointed towards the kitchen, a blush forming on his cheeks.  "I wouldn't go if I was you…"

Guy blinked in confusion.  "And why not?"

"They're…uhm…busy…"  Artea stared at the floor, shifting uncomfortably.

Grimacing, Guy stomped towards the kitchen door and opened it a crack, peeking inside.  His eyes widened in shock.  There was Jessy, her flaming hair down, her dress hanging off one shoulder, kissing Dekar.  The warrior happened to be shirtless, with bandages wrapped around his left shoulder.  Guy quietly shut the door again, his face pale.  "Oh…"

Artea watched the blonde nervously.  "Look, Guy, stay calm…"

"CALM!?  While my girlfriend is cheating on me with DEKAR, of all people!?"  His hand reached for the knife at his waist.

"Flash."  A single golden bolt of electricity crackled out of Artea's outstretched palm, hitting Guy squarely in the chest.  The swordsman stumbled to the floor groaning as Artea rolled his eyes.  "You're lucky I didn't cast Thunder.  You know better than to attack Dekar like that!  After all…"  Artea bit his lip as his ears twitched again.  "She had been seducing him earlier…I kind of overheard."

Guy sprawled out on the wooden floor panels with his eyes closed.  "Yeah…she probably put something in his drink, knowing her."  He waved towards the table laid out with various ciders and other alcohol.  A small blonde head was peeking over the tabletop, reaching for a bottle.

The elven archer immediately snatched Milka away from the "bar", dragging her over to where Hilda was conversing with Hilda and Irene.  "Excuse me.  Do you have anything non-alcoholic for Milka to drink?"

Hilda sighed exasperatedly.  "Oh Jessy!"  She grumbled as she advanced towards the kitchen.  "Honestly, only serving ale…what was that girl thinking!?"

Hilda stepped over the fallen Guy and started to open the kitchen door.  At that moment, Jessy barged through, knocking Hilda aside.  "I have water and some fruit juice for the little elf girl!"  Jessy placed her tray on a table and smiled at the petite elf.

Milka grumbled as she took a glass of grape juice.  "I'm probably older than her…"

Dekar stepped out of the kitchen doorway, tripping over Guy and stumbling.  He had his shirt on now, and looked perfectly normal, if a tad drunk.  He made a straight line to Jessy's bar and filled a mug with ale.

Guy finally got off the ground, shooting death glares at Dekar and Jessy.  Without another word, he headed upstairs to his room, Artea following him silently.  The swordsman sighed as he reached his room, flopping down on to his bed.  Artea quickly shut the door.

The elven man sat on the bed next to Guy, casting a quick Strong spell on the blonde.  "…I am very sorry."

Guy shrugged.  "I don't care really…if she would have only just told me."

"Hm…I will be just a moment."  Artea got off the bed and vanished through the doorway.  He returned in a few moments, closing and locking the door, then again sat on the bed next to Guy.

The blonde blinked at the other man curiously.  "What did you do?"

In response Artea placed two wine glasses and a large bottle filled with some sort of crystal-blue liquid.  "It's an elven specialty…we call it starlight.  Be careful, it's very strong stuff."  He carefully filled the glasses.

Guy sat up and carefully accepted a glass.  "I can handle my liquor."  He downed it in one gulp, then gasped.  "Whoa!"  His throat felt like it was on fire, and the flames were rushing towards his stomach.

Artea sipped from his first glass, smiling at Guy's reaction.  "Don't get drunk now."  He closed his eyes, letting the warmth of the liquor suffuse through his body.

Guy just poured another glass and drank it in one swallow again.  "I need to get smashed through."

"Hmph.  Don't come to me later begging for a spell to cure your hangover then."  The elf poured himself another glass, and the two men relapsed into a comfortable silence.

Guy looked at Artea over his sixth glass.  "Arty, you're lagging behind.  That's only your fourth."

The elven man shrugged.  "I'm not a heavy drinker…"  He blinked and rubbed his forehead as he set down his empty glass on the dresser, mumbling to himself.  "I think I need some fresh air again…this room is getting kind of…"  He got to his feet and took a couple of shaky steps before stumbling and falling backwards on to Guy's lap.  "Oops…"  The usually stoic elf looked into Guy's eyes and burst into giggles.  "Hi."

The blonde swordsman looked into Artea's violet eyes, which were now hazy with the effects of the alcohol.  "Well well, look who's drunk."

The elf returned Guy's gaze intently, then poked the swordsman in the chest.  "You're not sober either…I think we both need to sleep it off."

"Mmkay…but I don't wanna warp back home…can I stay here with you, please?"  His violet eyes shined as he gave Guy his best and very rarely used pleading look.

Guy flashed a rather feral looking grin and kissed Arty softly on the elf's lips.  "You mean like we did the night before the final battles?  That was a great stress reliever…"

Artea licked Guy's cheek and grinned in return.  "Yeah, exactly like that…these pants are really getting uncomfortable."  He occupied himself with nipping at the base of the swordsman's throat, moving on to suckling delicately at the skin there.

"Arty…"  With a soft groan Guy stood up, holding Artea effortlessly in his strong arms.  The elf snuggled against Guy's broad chest.  Throwing back the quilt on his bed, he placed the elf in the bed properly then got in next to him.  "Oh, we better get rid of the clothes, huh?"

Various pieces of clothing flew around the room, and soon the indigo-haired man and blonde were naked, the quilt pulled over their bodies.  Artea slowly massaged Guy's muscular chest and the swordsman ran his battle-callused hands down the elf's smooth back.  "Guy…can we do this more in the future?"

"Of course…I'm free, now that Jessy's not my girl…"  Guy's hands rested comfortably on the elf's bottom as he slowly raised a pale eyebrow suggestively.

"So, we're boyfriends?"  Artea's hands paused as his slanted eyes narrowed inquiringly.

"Yeah…definitely."  A smile crept across Guy's face and was matched by the one on Artea's.  Then, the REAL "Victory Party" began, and lasted through the entire night.  It's a good thing the walls and floors weren't thin, or else poor Hilda would've never gotten any sleep!

-end-


End file.
